Robin Walker has resigned as schools minister, saying she no longer has confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership
Robin Walker has resigned as schools secretary, saying she no longer has confidence in Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Walker was a Minister of State in the Department of Education. A prominent One Nation Tory, his father, Peter Walker, was a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet (although he was considered a “wet”). In his letter, Walker said he considered Johnson “an instinctive one-nation conservative” but believed the government was now making too many mistakes.
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Boris Johnson will have to carry out a mini reshuffle very soon. He needs to replace two ministers in the Department of Education (Robin Walker and Will Quince) and needs a new solicitor-general to replace Alex Chuck. (There are various PPS and sales reps to be replaced as well, but we won’t rush those appointments.)
Johnson is due to give evidence to the House of Commons liaison committee this afternoon at 3pm. Most of the MPs on the committee are very critical of him and perhaps he wonders if he can skip it, arguing that he should focus on the castels instead?
Robin Walker has resigned as schools minister, saying she no longer has confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership
Robin Walker has resigned as schools secretary, saying she no longer has confidence in Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Walker was a Minister of State in the Department of Education. A prominent One Nation Tory, his father, Peter Walker, was a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet (although he was considered a “wet”). In his letter, Walker said he considered Johnson “an instinctive one-nation conservative” but believed the government was now making too many mistakes.
Andrew Murison, the Conservative MP, resigned as the government’s trade representative yesterday, saying he considered Boris Johnson’s position “irretrievable”. In an interview this morning with Sky News, he said his decision to leave was a “long burn”. He was usually a “big loyalist,” he said. But he said he reached the point where he decided “enough is enough.”
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, would be delighted to hear him use that phrase. “Enough is enough” is what she said repeatedly at PMQs last week as she called for the Prime Minister to go.
Morrison said the mood among Tory MPs was “feverish”. It felt like it was “the beginning of the end,” he said, and said he would be very surprised if there were no more resignations.
Andrew Murrison Picture: Sky News
Gavin Barwell, who was Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister, says Nadhim Zahawi is right to say that divided parties don’t win elections (see 8.19am) – but wrong to think that the party can unite after Boris Johnson.
He is right, but there is zero chance of the party rallying behind Johnson. We have almost certainly reached the point where the majority of Conservative MPs – and more importantly, the electorate – have lost confidence. The sooner the rest of his supporters realize this the better https://t.co/59nIJMfSXA
— Gavin Barwell (@GavinBarwell) July 6, 2022
Barwell seems to be right about the Tory votes. Last night, YouGov published a survey showing that for the first time, more people who voted Conservative in 2019 want Boris Johnson to resign than want him to stay.
In interviews this morning, Nadhim Zahawi, the new chancellor, repeatedly suggested that Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former communications chief, was somehow responsible for fueling Tory opposition to Boris Johnson.
Nadhim Zahaoui has experience with Alastair Campbell.
“The people who divide us and turn us against each other are people like Alastair Campbell and wherever he is, you want to be on the opposite side of the argument” #KayBurley #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/ pyF0ldp5c9
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) July 6, 2022
Campbell, who now hosts the excellent podcast The Rest is Politics with former Tory cabinet minister Rory Stewart, appears to be welcoming his new position as the number one figure in the Labour-hating Conservative Party.
Hi @nadhimzahawi – glad to hear I’m getting on with you. I have been receiving many offers in the media to respond to your remarks about me this morning. FYI, I’ve only just started!! That you can continue to support this lying swindler who demeans everything 1/3
— ALASTER CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
he touches suggests that you too are veering too close to the dark side. And by the way, now that you’re chancellor you should expect much more scrutiny over your business history. You know what I mean? Check out @MichaelLCrick for a 2/3 start
— ALASTER CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
Ps what did you actually achieve in education? Nada … see you soon, I hope!! 3/3
— ALASTER CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
BREAKING NEWS … I’ve moved out of my home in North London. Now living rent free in the head of the new finance minister @nadhimzahawi
— ALASTER CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) July 6, 2022
Updated at 09.22 BST
Sajid Javid was not taking questions as he left his south-west London home this morning after resigning as health secretary last night. According to the Evening Standard, as he got into his car, he told reporters: “Good morning, thank you for coming. Good to see you.”
Sajid Javid leaves home this morning following his resignation yesterday as Health Secretary. Photo: Maja Smiejkowska/ReutersBroadcasters outside Downing Street this morning. Photo: Frank Augstein/AP
The Tory papers (mostly) turned on Boris Johnson this morning. Here’s a summary.
If he manages to stay in office for another three days, Boris Johnson will have been prime minister longer than Neville Chamberlain, according to Talk TV’s Tom Newton Dunn.
Boris Johnson needs to stay as Prime Minister for 3 more days to surpass Neville Chamberlain’s length of service and 33 days to surpass Theresa May’s (he would be very happy to do both, at a minimum). Will it do both? Absolutely no one knows yet. pic.twitter.com/loPDcJXnVR
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) July 6, 2022
Updated at 08.57 BST
Will Quince resigned as minister, saying he had ‘no choice’ after using false information from No 10 in interviews
And Will Quince resigned as Minister for Children and Families. Queens defended Boris Johnson in interviews on Monday and he said he resigned because he used false information in those interviews he gave No 10.
Queens said he had received “categorical assurance” from No 10 that Johnson was not aware of any “specific” allegations against Pincher when he appointed him to the post of deputy chief whip earlier this year. That was not true.
Will Quince receives ‘definite assurance’ from No 10 over Pincher allegations – video
Queens said in his resignation letter that he spoke with Johnson last night and that Johnson offered a “sincere apology.” But Quins says he should resign anyway because he repeated what he was told by Number 10 “in good faith”.
In effect, he says he considers saying things that aren’t true to the public as a matter of resignation – even though he’s not guilty. There are many of his colleagues who do not apply the same standard and have given false information to viewers based on briefing #10, but have not resigned.
In his letter, Quince says:
Dear Prime Minister.
Thank you for meeting with me yesterday evening and for your sincere apologies regarding the briefings I received from No 10 ahead of Monday’s media round, which we now know were inaccurate.
It is with great sadness and regret that I feel I have no choice but to resign as Minister for Children and Families as I have accepted and reiterated these assurances in good faith.
It is with great sadness and regret that I tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister this morning after accepting and repeating Monday’s assurances to the media, which have now been shown to be inaccurate.
I wish my successor success – this is the best job in government. pic.twitter.com/65EOmHd47p
— Will Quince MP 🇬🇧 (@willquince) July 6, 2022
Updated at 09.38 BST
Laura Trott resigns as PPS at Department for Transport, saying trust in politics ‘paramount’
Laura Trott has just resigned as PPS (Parliamentary Private Secretary). She posted this on her Facebook page.
I wish to inform you all that I have resigned from my role as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Transport. Trust in politics is – and always should be – of the utmost importance, but unfortunately in recent months it has been lost. Thanks to all of you who wrote to me with your opinions. I read them carefully and considered them as part of my decision. I have always put the people of Sevenoaks and Swanley at the heart of my work in Westminster.
Updated at 08.48 BST
Q: On inflation, there’s an argument that you can’t afford to cut taxes when inflation is a problem, because that will fuel inflation. That’s what Rishi Sunak thought. But there is another argument that tax cuts are needed because they will stimulate growth. Is that why they hired you?
Zahawi says this is not correct. He says he was appointed because he will be guided by evidence. It will restore the economy and promote growth.
Zahawi has now opened up about the vaccine delivery program, saying a focus on data, evidence and transparency have made it successful. That’s what he’s going to do with politics in general, he says.
Robinson says the data and evidence show taxes are rising to record highs under this government. Why don’t you tell people the truth? Hard times call for high taxes.
Zahawi says his focus is on promoting growth. 2023 will be difficult for growth.
Q: Are taxes going up?
Zahawi does say “Yes” but quickly moves on.
Updated 09.07 BST
Zahawi says the prime minister told him last night to focus on “delivery, delivery, delivery”. But it has to be a team effort. He continue:
Split teams don’t…
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